manifesto When I started making art in 1972, I never really thought of fine art as a career. Besides a few French and New York artists, I really could be swayed by any number of adults that painters really did starve. Your commercial career opportunities at the time were drawing apparel on imaginary fashion models for some retail display ad, making some logo or graphic treatment for a consumer package good you really did not need, inking tattoos or pin-striping a car. This was a long way from the Renaissance as we know it. So I bucked art school for business school in 1976 and made a decision to let any art grow organically, away from making a living at it, in any form it would take. I did also listen to a lot of punk rock, starting in 1975. It was better than art and biz school. The whole “Do It Yourself” attitude at the core of that music resonated with me. So I made several DIY decisions, which I still hold near and dear: 1) I would not take formal training for any art medium. I would simply learn by doing. The end results you see are purely my own, without any gallery, teaching or art movement perspective or influence; 2) I would never sell my art; only gift it. This removed all marketplace validation from consideration, so I have been uniquely liberated from dealing with the time consuming and soul destroying world of galleries and shows; 3) I would attempt to master the five pillars of fine art: painting, jewelry, photography, furniture and glass making. Looking back at my body of work since 1976, it always seemed that these were the right choices. So enjoy. Richard
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